The Garden at 485 Elm
People growing together:
a collaborative community garden in Montpelier, Vermont

Early days in the garden season

The Garden at 485 Elm will hold our first work parties at the end of April. The new garden leadership teams are assessing the needs and planning the big planting days to come.

Indoor gardening started in March with seed-sorting. We selected what we’ll grow and donated dozens of packets to the garden at the Barre City Elementary and Middle School.

Chris used soil tests to determine what nutrients could help the garden be healthier and more fertile this year. He applied them just after snow thaw. They’ve had a few weeks and good, soaking rains to integrate them into the soil.

Sweet spring parsnips are on the way. Last year we learned that parsnip greens can irritate the skin.

About the only thing ready to eat is some lawn grass, which Sammy the Serpent happily munched on. Soon there will be wild spring greens, like lambs’ quarters. The Jerusalem artichokes (or sunchokes) we started last season will be ready, too.